Great Screen Time Options for Kids
What are your rules for technology with your children? Maybe a better way to pose that question is: what are your hopes for the type of character and skills your children will develop? Is their interaction with technology helping or hindering those goals?
If you’ve followed The Savvy Sauce for long, you may have noticed I resist screen time for myself and for our children. Mark and I have said no to television in order to say yes to more quality time together and margin to offer hospitality. We do not let our girls have screen time so that we can prioritize playing outside or reading books aloud or creating meals together in the kitchen.
We are not flawless in this pursuit and we need reminders to course correct when we drift toward less intentionality. It is worth the pursuit because, in our experience, we have found that less screens mean more connection.
I don’t hate all technology. Our family does family movie night a couple times a year. I am using a laptop to type this to you right now, and I’m amazed that a conversation recorded in our home in a small town becomes a podcast that is available throughout the world.
Technology greatly benefits us, but Dr. Sylvia Hart reminded us in Mastering Technology So It Does Not Master You that wise stewardship and limits on devices actually lead to freedom. Purposeful use of technology puts it in its right place so that it serves us, rather than insidiously becoming something we are enslaved by.
I do appreciate technology and I’m also aware it can easily become an idol in my life, taking my focus off the immortal soul in front of me, and distracting me from doing something more wonderful that God has planned for me at that moment.
I can’t find any research that suggests high doses of screen time are good for any of us! Instead, the research I came across points to the negative effects of screen time. It takes away from time you could be spending doing healthier activities, it rewires our brain to become more distracted and addicted, and it prevents us from engaging with the person physically in front of us.
I’ve also noticed adults who say they don’t have time to do what they really want to do, but they also report watching a show every night. That sounds judgmental, but it’s not intended to be! I just have noticed the connection that our society is quick to assume TV is a non-negotiable, daily activity, yet it comes with the cost of setting aside other things they really desire to do.
It’s always sobering to learn that Silicon Valley creators restrict their own use and their children’s use of devices.
Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115:8 (NIV)
When I came across this Scripture recently, I instantly thought of my iPhone. What is it, really? What are some descriptive words? Cold, robotic, impersonal, and distracting. I don’t want to be like that! I don’t want to grow cold, robotic, impersonal, and distracted! Yet, that is what happens if I do not keep my iPhone in its proper place.
So, you may be surprised that the title of this article is promoting some screen time! Here is the backstory. I (admittedly) tend to be a little rigid when it comes to limiting technology. The American Association of Pediatrics recommended zero screen time for kids two and under, and we always had a child in our house who fit those parameters for the past eight years. That made it an easy choice: zero screen time.
However, we travel to see my husband’s family three to four times per year. The drive takes us 11-13 hours and we make an exception to our screen free policy for driving hours after the sun goes down on these trips. We intentionally choose movies that seem to have a greater purpose or lesson to teach our kids. Our kids love getting to watch something and we are thankful for the little bit of peace it provides.
One of my greatest goals is to plant seeds of faith in my children. Through a conversation with my mom one day, I realized technology is a powerful tool we can use to our advantage to plant seeds of faith in our children! The DVDs we let them watch are songs about Scripture and later we would hear them singing around the house, quoting Bible verses without realizing it.
Recently I had another realization. Our oldest daughter is eight and she (and all her sisters) won’t always be interested in watching DVDs of Scripture put to song.
Instantly, I had a paradigm shift to immense gratitude for this kind of screen time!
Since that realization, we have allowed the girls to watch one of these movies if our drive is over 30 minutes. I don’t want to set up an expectation of always entertaining the kids if we are in the van for an extended period of time, but I also love the idea of helping them hide Scripture in their heart as we travel together.
What about you? Are you traveling soon for Spring Break? Do you have long road trips to visit family periodically too? If so, I would love to recommend these intentional uses of screen time.
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Steve Green Hide Em in Your Heart Volume 2
Cedarmont Platinum Bible Collection
Buck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible Volume 1
Home Movies! My husband calls this our labor of love because it is time intensive to create! However, the positives make this labor worthwhile. We have compiled all the movies we have taken on our iPhones and burned them to DVDs to play while we travel. This has been incredibly rewarding! It helps our children enhance their memories of family vacations or routine days at home that we record and document. They also think it’s fun to see themselves on the screen 🙂 I highly recommend this option to you and I would love to hear your experience if you give it a try!
We talked about Psalm 115 earlier and I want to point out an encouraging verse that comes after the portion discussing idols. I pray this verse is true of you today and always. Verse 14 says:
May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. (NLT)
As you discern what is best for you and your family as it relates to technology, I pray our God richly blesses both you and your children! And here is my final encouragement from the last part of that same chapter, specifically verse 18:
But we can praise the Lord both now and forever! Praise the Lord!
Let’s praise the Lord with our mouths and actions and the way we strategically choose when to use and when to abstain from technology.
Grateful for you,
Laura
P.S. If you want screen-free options, make sure you read:
7 Ideas for Screen-Free Time with Kids
Favorite Easter Activity with Kids
How to Enjoy Road Trips with Young Kids
And if you prefer to listen rather than reading, don’t miss:
Mastering Technology So It Does Not Master You with Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd
Promoting a Family Culture of Reading with Megan Kaeb and Part 2
Finding Your Purpose as a Mom with Courtney DeFeo
Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller
Ideas for Spreading Generosity with Courtney DeFeo
Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow
Technology and Parenting with Arlene Pellicane
Thriving with Kids at Home with Amanda Leman
Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt
Ways to Enjoy Summer with Your Family with Krista Gilbert
Parenting 0-18 with Daniel Huerta
Intentional Questions to Ask Our Kids with Susan Seay
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